Why You Should Take Advantage of Being Alone

By Kimberly Garcia
Blog Content Contributor

Social butterflies have no problem finding someone to go with them to go see the concert in town. They almost always have someone to go to lunch with. Sometimes, you are not a social butterfly, and the five people you do know are busy with work or school. Being alone isn’t so bad when you take advantage of the time you have by yourself.

There are a few people that are recognized by lots of others, but that doesn’t mean it’s the same way for everyone at college. If you think you might look like you have no friends whenever you are sitting by yourself, realize that most people don’t pay much attention. They are going about their day just like you.

If you ever find yourself alone, instead of obsessing over the idea of you having no friends, use this time to enjoy your surroundings. Look at your environment and take moment to look at all the details. Sometimes it’s nice to just people watch. Listening to the sounds that happen when a large group tour comes by or the way an acorn sounds when it hits the ground. Taking appreciation for your surroundings could be a way for you to relax and enjoy the scenery around you.

Eating by yourself could give you the opportunity to think about the tasks you need to complete for the day or plan what your next adventure might be. It could also be time that you use to catch up on the book you’ve been meaning to read. Eating by yourself also allows you to eat what you want. Sometimes, we feel like we have to stop eating if someone with you doesn’t eat as much. When you are by yourself, you might even become more daring with what you decide to eat. We can be swayed by our friends with what we think we should or shouldn’t be eating. It can also take away from feeling embarrassed about a weird habit that you have while you eat.

Being alone also gives you the opportunity to focus on yourself. It almost forces you to think about problems that have been bothering you in areas of your life that you want to improve on. It allows you to dig down deep and figure out what you would like to keep on doing in order to achieve the goals that you have. If you are able to find a place that makes you feel comfortable, then that can allow you to explore the ideas or concerns that you have. Exploring your ideas alone helps you really think about what you want and not so much what others want from you. Thinking alone is important because it can reveal what you really want for yourself.

Just because you are eating alone or by yourself at the library doesn’t meant that you have no friends. Instead, think of it as time that you have to learn about yourself. After a while, you’ll realize a table for one isn’t so bad after all.

Featured image by Joseph Bonney.